Pastry filler



.March 10, 1931. E R JQHNSTON 1,795,307

l PASTRY FILLER Filed Feb. l2. 1929 INVENTOR Patented Mar. 10, 1931 rares EARL R. JOHNSTON, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA PASTRY Firman.

Application filed February 12, 1929. Serial No. 339,328.

My invention relates to a pastry filler intended for placing the custard, jelly, marsh mallow, or any other analogous paste products in tarts, rolls, and other forms of pascry shells. Y

. important objects of the invention are to lprovide a pastry filler of the character described, which is power operated for simultaneously filling a plurality of pastry shells l@ and in consequence expedite pastry 'filling operations, and which is readily adjustable to deposit a pre-determined quantity of the paste filling at each operation-thereof.`V

Further objects of the invention are to l5 provide a device of the character described,

which issimple in its construction and varrangement, durable and efficient in its use, compact, sanitary, positive in its action, and comparatively inexpensive to manufac- 20 ture and operate.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the com- Q bination and arrangement of parts and in the details of Vconstruction hereinafter described a-nd claimed, it being understood, that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of the claims Vhereunto appended 30 without departing from the-spirit of the invention. Y

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts Q throughout the several views: Y "5 Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a pastry filler constructed in accordance with the invention, with a portion of the supporting frame broken away.

t6 view of the valve elements and of associated parts.

Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, rear and front end views of the pastry `filling dis- J tributor. i i

ber and of the associated operating yoke.

Referring in detail to the drawing 1 denotes a hopper, for the p-astry filling 2, hav- K0 ing its side walls converging toward the low# er end thereof. The hopper l iS mounted. on

Figure 2 is an enlarged, cross sectional Figure 5 is a rear view of the valve memvattached against the front end of thelatter.

The distributor 9 includesy a 'cup 10, which has itsopen enddisposedtoward the valve casing 3. The cylinder 8, valve casing 3, and distributor 9 are horizontally aligned to eX- tend from the rear to the front of the appa.-

ratus.

An inlet passage 11, combinedly formed in the top of the valve casing 4 and in the lower converging end of the hopper 1, establishes communication between the latter and the valve chamber 5. A rearwardly flaring passage 12, formed in the rear wall of the valve easing '4, provides communication between the valve chamber 5 and the forward open end of the cylinder 8. A forwardly flaring passage 13 is provided in the front wall of the-valvel casing 4 and establishes communicationbetween the valve chamber 5 and the distributor cup 10.

The forward top portion of the cylindrical valve member 6 is provided with an oblong, circumferentially disposed passage recess 14, the bottom of which communicates with a forwardly disposed outlet passage l5, likewise formed in the valve member `6. The

distance between the ends of the recess 14 is exactlycommensurate to the distance between the forward side of the inlet passage-'11 andthe lower side of the passage 12 at the forwardend of the latter.

During the operation of the device, the valve member `6 rocks alternately back and forth inthe valve chamber 5, to respectively bring the top of the recess 14 into and out of registration with the inlet passage 11, and the outlet passage l5 out of and into registra` tion with the passage 13, while the passage 12 is at all times in communication with the recess 14. The valve casing passages 11 and 13 are never in communicating registration with respective valve member passages 14 and 15 at the same time, but one of said valve ing passages 11 or 13 is always closed by the periphery of the valve member 6 during the time that the other is open. The relative positions of the valve member passages 14 and 15 to the valve casing passages 11 and 13 i clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

A plunger 16 .is mounted for reciprocal movement in the cylinder 8. The former is driven by a connecting rod 17, which is pivotally joined therewith, as at 18. The rear end of the connecting rod 17 is pivotally joined, as at 19, in an elongated slot 20, which is formed to entend longitudinally in the upper end portion of the operating bar 21. An adjusting screw 22 is operatively mounted in the upper end of the operating bar 21 and joins with the rod connection 19 to provide adjustment of the latter in the slot 20. The adjustment of the screw 22V elevates or lowers the connection 19 in the slot 2O and correspondingly increases or diminishes the length of the stroke of the plunger 16 in the cylinder 8.

As the plunger stroke length determines the quantity of filling 2 that is ejected at each reeiprocation of the plunger 16, it is essential that the plunger stroke be accurately adjusted to provide just the right amount of filling 2 required. To allow such accurate adjustment the side of the operating bar 21 is provided with gradation markings 23', which will facilitate the positioning of the rod connection 19, by the operation of the screw 22, to establish the proper plunger stroke length.

rThe operating bar 21 extends vertically and is pivotally connected for oscillatory movement in a bearing bracket 23, which is fixed to the supporting frame 3. The operating bar 21 is actuated by a driving rod 24, which has its rear end pivotally connected, vas at 25, to the lower end of the former. The `front end of the driving rod 24 is pivotally connected, as at 26, to a worm wheel 27 eccentrically of the latter.

The vworm wheel 27 is suitably journaled for rotation, and meshes with a worm 28, which 'is fixed to the shaft of the driving motor 29. The operation of the latter will impart reciprocating movement to the plunger 16 by the operation of the inter-connected parts as herein beforeidescribed.

` rlhe valve member 6 is automatically operated and controlled by an actuating yoke 30, which depends below the valve casing 4 and has the upper ends of its arms fixed to respective trunnions 7, as indicated at 31. The lower end of the yoke 30 is formed to provide a segment gear 32, which is adapted for engaging a gear bar 33. The latter extends horizontally and is longitudinally shiftable in a pair of hanger guides 34, which are fixed to the supporting frame 3.

The rear end of the gear bar 33 curves upwardly and is pivotally connected, as at 35, to the cross arm 36, which is fixed to and eX- tends laterally rearward from the upper end of the latter. rlhe cross arm 36 is provided with a vertically disposed slot 37 for the connection 35 to permit of compensatory movement of the latter while the gear bar 33 reciprocates on an even plane horizontally, during the operation of the apparatus.

A plurality of forwardly extending feeder tubes 38 are fixed in the front end of the distributor cup 10 and communicate with the interior of the latter. The feeder tubes 38 are regularly spaced from and are disposed parallel to each other adjacent to the periphery of the distributor cup 10.

The forward ends of the feeder tubes 38 are adapted for insertion in the ends of the tubular pastry shells 39 to support the latter while the same are being filled. To facilitate the proper mounting of the pastry shells 39, each of the feeder tubes is preferably provided with a resilient, split, gage ring 40, which may be adjusted on the feeder tube to establish the proper insertion distance of the latter in the past-ry shell 39.

A cone-shaped equalizer 41 is fixed to and projects rearwardly in the distributor cup 10. The converged end of the equalizer 41 is disposed adjacent to the valve casing rear wall passage 13, while the periphery of the enlarged end of the equalizer extends in close proximity to the rear ends of the feeder tubes 38. rlhe purpose of the vequalizer 41 is to uniformly equalize the distribution the filling 2 on its travel through the distributor cup 10 from the valve casing rear wall passage 13 to the rear ends of the feeder tubes 38.

While the tubular type of pastry shells .39 are herein illustrated in connection with the embodiment of the present invention, it will be obvious that any other form of pastry shell may be successfully filled by my improved filler apparatus, provided that the feeder tubes 38 are equipped with suitable attaching devices for connecting such shells in posi-A tion during the operation of the filler.

Further, any desired arrangement and number of feeder tubes 38 may be employed to best meet conditions found in practice. Likewise, a plurality of cylinders may be utilized instead of the single cylinder 8, as herein illustrated and described.

rllhe iiller apparatus is preferably intended to be operated continuously, and at a speed permitting the operator to remove and replace the pastry shells 39 during the suction stroke of the plunger 16 in the cylinder 8.

In practice, the operation of the filler apparatus is as follows: The operation of the driving motor 29 is continuous, and will impart continuous reciprocating movement to the plunger 16 in the cylinder 8. As soon as the plunger 16 begins its rearward or suction stroke, the rearward movement of the upper eno of the operating bar 21 will shift the gear bar 33 rearwardly in its guides 34e. rllhis rearward increment of the latter will draw the actuating yoke 30V rearwardly, thereby partiallyr rotating the valve member 6 to close the passage 13 and at the same time open the inlet passage 11. W'hile the latter is in such open position, the filling 2 is sucked from the hopper 1, through the passage 11, recess 14, passage 12, and` into the cylinder 8.

It will here be noted, that the operation of the valve member 6 is effected at the beginning of each plunger stroke, and is continued only until the segment gear 32 clears the engagement of the gear bar 33, after which the segment gear 32 will ride idly over the gear bar 33 until lthe end of the plunger stroke is reached. This idle movement of the segi ment gear 32 over the gearbar 33 will impart a jiggling action to the valve member 6 providing for the efficient travel of the filling 2 through the recess 1e and passage 15.

ris the filling 2 is very light, the weight and suspension of the yolre 30 maintain the valve member 6 in its proper operative Vposition by gravity, and further assure re-engagement of the segment gear 32 with the gear bar 33 at the beginning of each plunger stroke.V

The plunger 16, having reached the end of its suction stroke and thereby drawn the filling 2 into the cylinder 3, and as the plunger 16 begins its forward or feeding stroke, the yolre 30 will be shifted forwardly by the gear bar 33 to partially rotate the valve member 6 until the inlet passage 11 is closed by the periphery of the valve member 6 and the outlet passage 15 is positioned in registration with the valve casing passage 13.

During the forward or feeding stroke-of the plunger 16, the filling 2 in the cylinder 8 and in the recess 111, will be shoved through the passage 15, the valvel casing passage 13, and against the equalizer e1 in the distributor cup 10. The Jfilling 2 will now pass into` the feeder tubes 38 and finally into the pastry shells-39. During the operation of the device the distributor cup 10 is always full to capacity with filling 2, and in consequence the latter will be forced from the distributor cup 10 into the feeder tubes 39 in uniform amounts, while the equalizer Lil serves to divert the filling 2 to the latter. After the pastry shells 39 have been filled, by the feeding stroke of the plunger 16, they are removed from the feeder tubes 38 bythe operator'and replaced by empty Vpastry shells. Such removal and replacement of the pastry shells being done during the subsequent suction stroke of the plunger 16.

Owing to the consistency of the usual pastryfilling 2, the same is deposited in the shells 39, in the manner herein stated, without perceptible force or pressure, but merely moved or shoved forwardly into the pastry shells. ln practice it has been established that aV small quantity of filling 2 is ejected from each of the feeder tubes 38 as the pastry shells are being' removed from the latter. This is a desirable feature, as such ejected quantity of filling 2 serves to fill the space in the pastry shell that was engaged by the insertion of the feeder tube, and is deposited at the time that the shell is being drawn'from the feeder tube.

The various parts of my improved filling apparatus, are, of course, so arranged, constructed, operated, timed, and adjusted, so that j ust the requisite amount of the lling 2 is delivered from the device, by each forward or feeding stroke of the plunger 16, to properly fill the pastry shells mounted thereto.

The present invention provides a most ef ficient power operated device of its kind, which operates automatically to expedite pastry filling operations in a uniform and economical manner. Y

TWhat l claim is: n

In an apparatus for depositing pastry lling into pastry shells, the combination of a hopper for the filling, a supporting frame for said hopper,a valve casing connecting with trie lower end of said hopper, a cylinder connecting with one end of said valve casing, a filling distributor cup connecting with the other end of said valve casing, a valve member revolubly mounted in said valve casing, a plunger shiftably mounted in said cylinder, an operating mechanismv carried by said frame for imparting reciprocal movement to said plunger in said cylinder, means connecting with said valve element and operatively engaging said operating mechanism for shifting said valve element to establish communication between said hopper and said cylinder during the rearward or suction movement of said plunger and further to establish communication between 'said cylinder and said distributor cup during the forward or feeding movement of saidplunger, a plurality of feeder tubes being fixed to and communicating with the rea-r end of said distributor cup adjacent to the periphery of the latter, and a cone-shaped equalizer mounted in said distributor cup for directing the filling through said distributor cup to said feeder tubes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EARL R. JOHNSTON. 

